Partners in Design
By Karen Weir-Piroutz

Articile that appeared in Terra Cotta The Home Improvement & Decorating Magazine

Why should I make a change? Why should I get a professional opinion? Likely these are a few questions we have all grappled with in our lives, and when your change involves a personal living space, whether in the home, or exterior living space, suddenly you're dealing with "motherhood".
   Most people are terribly resistant to change, , however, change in and around the home can be fun, rewarding, and amazingly non stressful.
   First and foremost, why make a change? Try picking one or more of the following: This space is missing something! This is exciting! It must become more functional! I hate it! It's been the same forever! I want to increase the value of my home! And that's just for starters!
   Secondly, why get a professional opinion? This is much easier than the first part. A professional design consultant is a partner that has the vision to take your desire for change and, based on your needs and wants, develop the path for achieving that "dream" space. For example, we use a "lifestyle questionnaire" to accommodate this process.
   A "true" professional will help you achieve your goal by analyzing your functional needs and requirements ( pets, traffic flow, children, entertaining, etc) and integrate with aesthetic elements (colour, mood harmony).
   A "true" professional will provide illustrations of your mutually agreed to space and a concise written agreement before next steps are taken. Note: I would be remiss if I did not mention that custom work and refinement requires more time and more dollars than "floor model" approaches, but be patient, the outcome will be well worth the wait and investment.
   In summary, a design consultant is a partner. A friend, trained to help you evolve your own sense of style, when that crucial decision has been made to change a living space.
   There are many clichés revolving around 2 heads are better than one; however, when it comes to developing your dream space, a great consultant is there to take your idea and translate it into several "languages" of style guaranteeing client satisfaction and a point of difference. For more information visit our website at
www.kwpdesign.com or e-mail
Design Evolution at karen@kwpdesign.com